Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable Check Engine Light (Gas Cap)

I had my codes checked and nothing was showing the garage that cehck the codes said maybe gas cap.They also cleared all the codes but the light still stays on.My question is would a gas cap after market work? Or do you have to get one from ford?Another question is about the cap has anyone any idea what goes bad? Would adding a gasket help?

Comments

I had a gas cap go bad on my 2003 Mercury Sable. I filled up with gas and the light came on and wouldn't go off.

I bought a gas cap at a local auto parts store for a few dollars that fixed the problem.

For the check engine light to go off you must first fix the problem (eg. get a new gas cap). Then your car must go through a few cold start-up cycles, idle for so many minutes and run at highway speed for so many minutes. If you fix the problem then the light will go off after a few days driving. If you can't wait for the check engine light to go out the quick fix is to disconnect the (black) battery cable for a few seconds and then reconnect. That will clear out all of the engine codes from the computer.

Evidently they keep the check engine light on for a few days so that you don't fail a smog test.

From the owners manual...

On board diagnostics (OBD-II)Your vehicle is equipped with a computer that monitors the engine&#146;semission control system. This system is commonly known as the OnBoard Diagnostics System (OBD-II). This OBD-II system protects theenvironment by ensuring that your vehicle continues to meetgovernment emission standards. The OBD-II system also assists theservice technician in properly servicing your vehicle. When the CheckEngine/Service Engine Soon light illuminates, the OBD-II system hasdetected a malfunction. Temporary malfunctions may cause your CheckEngine/Service Engine Soon light to illuminate. Examples are:1. The vehicle has run out of fuel. (The engine may misfire or runpoorly.)2. Poor fuel quality or water in the fuel.3. The fuel cap may not have been securely tightened.These temporary malfunctions can be corrected by filling the fuel tankwith good quality fuel and/or properly tightening the fuel cap.

After threedriving cycles without these or any other temporary malfunctionspresent, the Check Engine/Service Engine Soon light should turn off.(A driving cycle consists of a cold engine startup followed by mixedcity/highway driving.) No additional vehicle service is required.

If the Check Engine/Service Engine Soon light remains on, have yourvehicle serviced at the first available opportunity.

also from the owners manual refering to smog type test...

In some localities, it may be a legal requirement to pass an I/M test ofthe on-board diagnostics system. If your indicator is on, refer to thedescription in the Warning lights and chimes section of theInstrument Cluster chapter. Your vehicle may not pass the I/M test withthe indicator on.

If the vehicle&#146;s powertrain system or its battery has just been serviced,the on-board diagnostics system is reset to a &#147;not ready for I/M test&#148;condition. To ready the on-board diagnostics system for I/M testing, aminimum of 30 minutes of city and highway driving is necessary asdescribed below:&#149; First, at least 10 minutes of driving on an expressway or highway.&#149; Next, at least 20 minutes driving in stop-and-go, city-type traffic withat least four idle periods.Allow the vehicle to sit for at least eight hours without starting theengine. Then, start the engine and complete the above driving cycle. Theengine must warm up to its normal operating temperature. Once started,do not turn off the engine until the above driving cycle is complete.

Thanks again with your help. I found a gas cap at napa that would work with the strap from the old cap. This way I wouldn't have to put it(the cap)on top of the car and drive off. This was all done yesterday and today went into the garage and they tested again and this time it stayed off, the service engine light.

As I stated before I got a new gas cap and had the gargre reset the computter. then my wife filled the tank and didnt tighten the cap. so the next day driving the light came onAt the next stop I got out and checked the cap, and tighten it. the light was still on. so the next time I was near the shop I asked them to clear it n see if there was another problem. they check it and said that if the light comes back on I should take it to ford, because they dont have the equipment to check what is going on.Could anyone tell me what my nexty step should be? As of now the light is off!

Your next step is to make sure that the gas cap is tight. If the light stays off then you are home free.

If the light comes back on and the gas cap has been tight then you may have a problem. Remember though that if the light comes back on it takes several cycles to go off after the problem has been resolved.

if you have been following this question about the check engine light. Here is the update;today I took it in Ford for their testing only, They did what they do for this dinostic test. It showed a leak at the tub of the gas filler tub. To replace with a ford part and labor would cost about $500.00 + - :mad: Today it cost $80 dollars. Now I look for a after market one or use at the junkies. I even was thinking if I found it would I be able to patch it with something. :confuse: I saw a question about this light and a transmission. I belive this light has nothing to do with anything other then emissions.

if you have been following this question about the check engine light. Here is the update; today I took it in Ford for their testing only, They did what they do for this dinostic test. It showed a leak at the tub of the gas filler tub. To replace with a ford part and labor would cost about $500.00 + - Today it cost $80 dollars. Now I look for a after market one or use at the junkies. I even was thinking if I found it would I be able to patch it with something. I saw a question about this light and a transmission. I belive this light has nothing to do with anything other then emissions.

To make a long story short, I bought an OBDII scanner recently to clear a "check engine" light that occasionally came on. I had no idea that emissions inspection uses the same OBD plug to pass or fail the car. I did not buy it to cheat inspection.

My (wife's) Taurus is up for inspection but the airbag light was on. I called my mechanic who said the airbag light being on will not cause my inspection to fail. However, he ran out of stickers.

So I called Sears Auto and asked about the airbag light being on. Sears told me yes, my car will fail inspection if the airbag light is on.

So I used my OBDII scanner hoping it would clear the airbag light. It did not. However, when I adjusted the seat, the airbag light came off. Weird but that's good.

I went in for inspection at another shop (not Sears and not my mechanic). It failed because it showed 5 sensors "not ready" including 2 for "oxygen"-something and 3 for EGR, Evap, and Cat.

My mechanic told me to drive it around for at least 30 miles mix of highway and local traffic. I ran it for 60 miles already but only the "oxygen" sensors were cleared, the other 3 -- EGR, Evap and Cat are still "not ready".

Question: I don't mind driving the car around some more. But can I use my OBDII scanner to check if the remaining 3 sensors are ready? This way, as soon as the 3 sensors are ready, I can stop driving around.